Fragrance Review of Viktor & Rolf Eau Mega

Viktor & Rolf Try to Outdo Flowerbomb With Eau Mega

Flowerbomb, Viktor & Rolf's first fragrance, has been a cult hit since it came out a few years ago. But this week, the brand quietly released its second scent, Eau Mega. Just so you all know how dedicated I am to good-smellin' stuff, I trekked all the way down to Nordstrom during lunch to sniff it, since only a few locations have the fragrance so far. Luckily, the reconnaissance on this baby is good.

V&R didn't play it safe at all, and Eau is totally different from the F-bomb, though just as playful. The atomizer is also too cute to be believed, and well worth playing with (you spray it by squeezing the big gold V&R seal on the side). To find out whether the juice smells as awesome as the bottle looks, just keep reading.

Eau opened with nothing but fresh honeydew melon: sweet, girly, and delicious. But then the honeydew disappeared, and something richer and more complex began to make its appearance. At first I hated it and thought for sure it'd be a scrubber; there were a couple of, I kid you not, briny-smelling transitional moments where the scent seemed unsure where it was going. Then it started smelling a lot like another perfume I'd tried and not liked at all. But then, very suddenly, it smelled just like yummy matcha (this fragrance has a couple of fun food moments), and eventually dried down to a nice, cool floral with sandalwood and a little musk beneath it. The drydown is nothing crazy, but it's nice for cool weather, something you might slip on like a cashmere sweater.

Eau Mega is not a lavish, heady classic like Flowerbomb, but it's also not a rehash of the same formula — which is a big deal in times when many perfumers are playing things safe. It's got medium sillage, and it's still on three hours after my first spritz, so I would rate its lasting power well. Overall, a singular but not outrageous scent that works well for everyday wear. Try it for the wild way it develops, and buy it for the atomizer, which is sure to become a collectible.

You should definitely go out and try it—I was all set to buy because of f-bomb, too, but this one is completely different, and not even in the same fragrance family. Speaking of delish f-bomb-like scents, though, do you like Hanae Mori Butterfly, too? It's indulgent but not little girly, kinda like Flowerbomb.